


In The Dark

by orphan_account



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Mutual Pining, POV Anakin Skywalker, The Force, Undercover as a Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-02-26
Packaged: 2019-11-06 03:18:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17931812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Anakin and Obi-Wan pretend to be a couple on a mission, the night brings doubt and things that are better left unsaid. Honestly, when have they communicated well?





	In The Dark

_Why wasn’t Quinlan given this assignment?_

Anakin knew exactly what Obi-Wan meant when he felt the unspoken whisper reach his own mind, right after crossing the street archway. His Master’s earnestness for privacy got illustrated as he lent the security droids a hand with the Force, nudging the broad doors so they could close faster. Trying to stop an assassination on a week-long nuptial celebration was wearing enough, with all the tiresome suspicion and detective-like work their first day demanded. Pretending to be involved in a romantic affair—with anyone—wasn’t any easier for his Master.

Still, Anakin didn’t know if it was the intimacy their fake backgrounds required or just his preference for traditional negotiations that made him actively complain. Protests were his thing, the role-reversal left him disoriented.

Now he couldn’t stop himself from wondering if Obi-Wan’s crankiness had to do with the who rather than the what.

“You’d rather sleep with him tonight, then?” He delivered the question offhanded and playful after a couple of seconds, his voice cutting through the silence that remained after they were left alone. The doors from the balcony opened as if on cue, letting Obi-Wan out while he was walking towards them. Anakin’s stomach dropped.

He averted his gaze from his Master’s figure, immediately shielding his newfound insecurities and his body behind a folding screen with golden intricate patterns in the fabric.

Was it really that bad pretending to love Anakin?

Hidden, he began to take off the luxurious robes Count Cessi supposedly wore, as he was who he pretended to be in this Outer Rim planet. Help had been necessary putting them on in the first place so an extra pair of hands was required now as well, but the growing wound left him no other choice than kriffing the zippers and tiny buttons on his own. Anakin couldn’t believe the Council gave up the opportunity to dress Obi-Wan up, arguing he looked far more royal than the Master did. Yeah, right. The man himself probably convinced them, dumping the tedious task of being pretty and petty on Anakin.

“Don’t be silly, Anakin,” he heard him speak from somewhere in the room. A smile probably graced his features, as humor lighted up his end of their bond now. “Quin snores louder than you do.”

In the Force, Obi-Wan finally shined warm and at ease now, setting an affable mood between them. Anakin tried then to put his ponder of the older man’s demeanor aside for a while. A light breeze seemed to caress Anakin’s face, licking his hurt and softening his frown.

Coming back to the task at hand, the first layer came off, a heavy mauve robe with armored neck and shoulders laid on the carpeted floor. _Three or four more to go_ , Anakin mused.

His Master’s robes were different than his. Softer. Simpler. A sentient that enjoyed the sidelines would have a taste for them, it seemed. Yet the man had stealed looks through all evening. Even if the compliments had started scant, when the night was nearing to an end Count Cessi had to drag his fiancé, Lev, away from hungry stares and one insistent proposal from a sentient that had some trouble understanding rejection.

Scanning Lev’s face for any sign of disapproval would have been pointless, as his Master’s discomfort was only evident because of his leaking shields and Anakin’s strong connection to the Force… and him.

That probably contributed to Obi-Wan’s foul mood. Force knew it had irritated Anakin. At least now he could gift his partner the distance he craved in the room they were compelled to rest in.  
Their hosts had assured both Jedi their designated accomodations were large enough for them, and the space proved them right. The bed—covered in rich and colorful linens—could fit them and even their Commanders, if they had joined them in this mission. Not to mention the high ceiling and balcony, half as big as their room, that supplied the taste of luxury they were, to all appearances, accustomed to.

Close and soft steps were the only thing he could hear while undressing. When he reached his last layer, he couldn't stop himself from sighing.

“Would you like some help, Anakin?”

There was no reason for him to blush, but his face proved him wrong. Not sure if he felt embarrassing or thrilling the idea of Obi-Wan doing something as intimate as undressing him, he nodded. Then he remembered he couldn't be seen. “Uh, yes. Actually.”

The blouse had buttons on his back that he couldn't reach on his own without ruining the piece. It was more fitted over his frame, blue silk with long adorned sleeves that looked more imposing than delightful on a person like him. It must have been his gait what kept everyone at arm’s length. Obi-Wan had looked far more… approachable. Ravishing.

Maybe they just–

“I knew the robes would suit you. They match the color of your eyes.”

Oh.

The whisper came from his back, his nape caressed with his Master’s words. Anakin tried to breathe normally and counted every button that left his back uncovered.

Obi-Wan sounded proud, and pleased. When Anakin turned around, the garment sliding off his shoulders already, he found hungry eyes gazing at him.

“And your hair-length proves to be a better choice for the headpieces we were gifted,” Obi-Wan added, his tone regaining the matter-of-fact aspect the Jedi used when analyzing something he was interested in. He took that off too, with the same care.

His back still burned from the almost nonexistent touches, even through the silk.

“Thanks, Obi-Wan.” He meant it.

There were too many questions, the most insistent on being blurted was _when will you say it?_ He didn't even know what _it_ was.

Even conflicted as he felt, he mirrored the wish to distance himself from their undercover personas. Right in that moment, they both left everything about the mission behind. No more feigned affection. Nothing but their true connection remained, invisible but ever-present. Their bond whispered it was enough for today, they could meditate on everything they learned and discuss it in the morning.

But when will you say it, Master?

Did he looked helpless? Desperate for something they both couldn't pronounce? The older man’s eyes didn't reveal his secret, and yet he broke apart from the staring contest first. The sound of closing doors and rustling fabric filled the cold on his chest.

“The bed is large enough, Anakin. You don’t snore, don’t worry.”

_Say it. Say it. Say it_.

When Anakin could walk himself to the bed at last, a pair of comfortable trousers were lying on the right side of it—the left one was occupied with a warm body. The lights went out with the movement of one wrist and left them lying side by side, both clad in bedroom clothes.

“Goodnight, Master.”

“Hm.”

 

  
“Anakin.”

“Yes?”

Silence.

So he still couldn't say it. All night he had been throwing him those looks that made his skin burn, but he must've been imagining things, Anakin assured himself again and again. _It_ was I want you. _It_ was I don't care about anything more than having you near me. _It_ meant love and attachment and everything they weren't supposed to find in each other's company. _It_ was the acknowledgment of their shared lust.

“Must I do everything you won't dare to do, Obi-Wan?”

In a blink that felt like having his eyes closed all the time, he straddled Obi-Wan’s hips. The Force guided their lips, and they met in total darkness. Their dialogue was as familiar as their bodies.

“Must we always kiss in the dark?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is a vignette of a full story that I won't write (soon) because of how I've left unattended my other fics. I'd like to think that both Obi-Wan and Anakin would dance around their love for each other, no one daring to say what they want unless they are exhausted and about to fall asleep. And even then, they're always ambiguos, just like in canon.
> 
> I do have some notes about Obi-Wan's POV of the whole thing, but I decided to finish this piece as a break from my Big Bang work, I won't be taking breaks for a sequel of this.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did!


End file.
